Bathroom Refit Cost UK 2026: Full Price Breakdown

A bathroom refit is one of the most disruptive — and most rewarding — home improvements. But how much does a bathroom refit cost in the UK? Anywhere from £3,000 for a basic refresh to £12,000+ for a luxury overhaul. Here’s where the money actually goes.

Typical costs by scope

• Budget refresh (keep layout, budget suite, vinyl/laminate): £3,000–£5,000
• Mid-range refit (new suite, tiling, decent fittings): £5,000–£9,000
• High-end refit (designer suite, walk-in shower, underfloor heating, stone tiles): £9,000–£15,000+
• London: add 20–30% to all figures

Where the money goes

• Labour: 40–50% of the total — typically £1,500–£3,500 for a straightforward refit. Bathroom fitters, plumbers, tilers, electricians, plasterers — it’s a multi-trade job.
• Suite (bath/WC/basin): £400–£2,000 — budget suites from Victoria Plumb or Bathstore start around £300; designer brands run to thousands.
• Shower: £200–£1,500 — electric showers are cheapest to fit; thermostatic mixers and walk-in enclosures cost more.
• Tiling: £1,000–£3,000 including labour — see tiling costs.
• Plumbing alterations: moving the soil pipe or repositioning the bath adds £500–£1,500. Keeping the existing layout is the single biggest money-saver.
• Electrics: £200–£600 — extractor fan, lighting, shaver socket; must be done by a qualified electrician (bathrooms are special locations under Part P).
• Finishing: £200–£500 — paint (see best paint for damp bathrooms), mirrors, accessories.

How to keep costs down

1. Don’t move the plumbing. Keeping the bath, WC and basin where they are saves £500–£1,500 instantly.
2. Buy the suite yourself — online retailers (Victoria Plumb, Drench, Plumbworld) undercut trade counters significantly.
3. Tile selectively: fully tiling costs double half-tiling with painted walls above. Wet areas tiled, rest painted, looks smart.
4. Keep the bath: re-enamelling a sound bath (£200–£400) beats replacing it.
5. Do the rip-out yourself — save £200–£400 in labour (but don’t touch plumbing or electrics).
6. Time it right: fitters are quieter (and keener on price) in January–February.

For the ultimate budget approach, see the cheapest way to update a tired bathroom.

Getting quotes

• Get 3 detailed quotes — itemised labour vs materials.
• Ask for recent local references and go see the work if possible.
• Agree a payment schedule — never pay more than 25–30% upfront.
• Confirm who’s doing electrics and tiling — some “bathroom fitters” subcontract everything; you want to know who’s actually in your house.
• Check reviews on Checkatrade or Trustpilot.

How long does it take?

A straightforward refit: 1–2 weeks. Moving plumbing, structural work or bespoke tiling: 2–4 weeks. You’ll be without that bathroom throughout — plan alternative arrangements (a second WC, gym showers, kind neighbours) before work starts.

Common budget-busters

• Hidden water damage behind tiles or under the bath — budget a 10–15% contingency.
• Asbestos in old boxing-in or ceiling textures (pre-2000 homes) — testing £50–£100; removal extra.
• Upgrading the boiler mid-project because the new rainfall shower needs more pressure.
• Scope creep: “while you’re here, could you just…” — the most expensive sentence in home improvement.

The bottom line

Budget £5,000–£8,000 for a quality mid-range refit of a standard UK bathroom, keep the layout, buy the suite yourself, and hold a 15% contingency. Get three itemised quotes, check references, and never pay large sums upfront. Done right, a bathroom refit is one of the few improvements that pays you back daily — in comfort, if not always in resale value.

Wet rooms: the premium option explained

A wet room (fully tanked, level-access shower area, no tray or enclosure) is the luxury end of bathroom refits — and increasingly popular in UK homes. Cost: £8,000–£15,000 for a proper job, versus £5,000–£9,000 for a conventional refit. The premium comes from tanking (waterproofing the entire floor and lower walls — £500–£1,000 in materials alone), floor formers (sloped drainage boards), and the skilled labour to get falls exactly right.

Wet rooms suit: accessibility needs (wheelchair users, elderly — level access is transformative), small bathrooms (removing the bath/shower tray frees surprising space), and modern aesthetics. They don’t suit: family bathrooms where only one bathroom exists (no bath = harder to sell to families with small children — estate agents flag this), or timber floors without serious structural assessment (water + wood + gravity = risk). If you’re converting, keep at least one bath in the house for resale sanity.

Bathroom refit FAQs

How long will I be without a bathroom? 1–2 weeks for a standard refit. Plan alternatives before work starts: a second WC, shower at the gym, or very kind neighbours. Portable camping toilets exist (£50–£100) for the desperate — nobody enjoys them, but they beat the alternative.

Do I need planning permission? No for internal refits. Building regulations apply to electrics (Part P — qualified electrician required), drainage alterations, and ventilation (extractor fan required if no openable window). Your fitter should handle notifications.

Should I buy the suite myself or through the fitter? Buy it yourself from online retailers — typically 20–40% cheaper than trade counter prices. But confirm exact models with your fitter first (waste positions, tap hole configurations, cistern types vary), and have everything on site before work starts — waiting on a delayed suite with a gutted bathroom is miserable.

What’s the ROI — will it add value? A new bathroom returns roughly 50–70% of its cost in property value — it rarely pays for itself directly. What it does: make the house sellable (a grim bathroom puts buyers off disproportionately) and improve your daily life for a decade. Spend for yourself, not for profit.

Can I live in the house during the refit? Yes — most people do. It’s dusty, noisy and inconvenient, but manageable. Seal the bathroom doorway with dust sheets, agree working hours upfront (8am–5pm is standard; no weekends unless agreed), and confirm the water will be on each evening (it should be — a competent fitter reconnects daily).

Managing the project: your role as client

Even with a great fitter, your management affects the outcome. Before work starts: have all materials on site (suite, tiles, fittings — delays cascade), agree working hours (8am–5pm standard; weekends only if agreed), designate a toilet for workers (or hire a portaloo — £80/week — workers using your only other bathroom slows everything), and protect the route (dust sheets from front door to bathroom — agree who’s providing them). During: daily 5-minute check-in (what’s done, what’s next, any problems?), decide quickly on questions (tile layout, grout colour — dithering stops work), and don’t hover (trust, but verify at milestones).

stage payments (never pay for work not done), photograph progress (useful for snagging and for your property file), and keep a variations log (every “while you’re here” priced and agreed in writing before work starts — see building contracts). At completion: snag thoroughly (run every tap, flush every toilet, check every tile, test the fan — with the fitter present), retain 5–10% until snagging is done, and get the guarantees (workmanship + product warranties in writing). Good clients get good work — clarity, decisiveness and prompt payment are rewarded with care and priority.